A Culinary Journey through Europe

cook stamppot, of course a very special one
with spices and concentrated flavours so that it
would become a really exciting dish.
EFJ: How do guests react to the dining experience
high in skies?
Angélique Schmeinck: They are all flabbergasted.
EFJ: Speaking of the food culture in the Netherlands:
Is your balloon restaurant part of this
culture?
Angélique Schmeinck: I would instead say that
CuliAir Skydining is part of the creative thinking
for which our country is famous.
EFJ: Can the balloon restaurant also be understood
as a way of escaping the cliché that the
Netherlands is a mere cheese country?
Angélique Schmeinck: This cliché is absurd. We
have long been well known for our creativity,
for our high ranking when it comes to Michelin
stars. There are many new young chefs who
know the art of cooking creatively and healthily.
And, yes, it’s true that stamppot can even be
served in a restaurant with three Michelin stars
as long as it is prepared with the best potatoes,
vegetables and cooking techniques. Then it can
have a place in your memory as a meaningful
dish. As you can see, tourists need to go a little
bit further to discover the mentality of Dutch
cuisine.
EFJ: By the way, what do you see as your own
contribution to the culinary landscape of the
Netherlands?
Angélique Schmeinck: I invented the so-called
culinary mind map to help creativity take a giant
leap forward in Dutch cuisine. I wrote a
book about it called “Flavour Friends”. Just for
a short explanation of flavour friends,
please name a vegetable from your
home country.
©Culiair Sky Dining and Masterchef Angélique Schmeinck
www.european-food-journal.com